The present invention relates generally to electrical generation and energy conversion devices, and more particularly to a vehicle-mounted generator that converts the energy of wind or flowing water to mechanical or electrical energy.
The use of wind or flowing water to provide power for various uses dates back many centuries. In modern times, wind and water have been used to generate electricity. Hydroelectric generating plants have been used to generate large quantities of electrical energy for widespread distribution. However, this requires major permanent environmental changes to the areas where dams are built and reservoirs rise. Wind-powered devices, in general, have been used to perform mechanical work, or to generate electricity, only on a limited scale. With the ever-increasing demand for additional or alternative energy sources, all possible sources are being given more scrutiny. This is particularly true for sources that are non-polluting and inexhaustible. Free-flowing hydroelectric and wind-powered systems provide such sources, and the capturing of increased energy from wind and water has received much consideration.
With diminishing supplies of fossil fuels, and environmental concerns regarding their use, the manufacturers of motor vehicles have begun to look for alternative fuels and drive systems. A popular technology today is the use of so-called “hybrid” systems, which combine a gasoline-powered engine with an electric motor to obtain better gas mileage and reduce vehicle emissions. A bank of rechargeable batteries is utilized to power the electric motor, which assists the gasoline-powered engine when the vehicle accelerates or goes up a hill, for example. Energy from the gasoline-powered engine as well as the vehicle's brakes is utilized to recharge the batteries. Although hybrid drive systems provide some advantage over conventional gasoline-powered engines, there is still much to be done to improve their efficiency.
Other studies have been performed to determine the feasibility of powering a vehicle using solar power. To date, however, no practical design has been developed for utilizing this alternative power source due, primarily, to the very low efficiency of solar cells.
Existing wind-powered electrical generation devices commonly utilize a propeller mounted on the horizontal shaft of a generator, which in turn, is mounted at the top of a tower. This is an inefficient design because energy is extracted from the wind by reducing the wind velocity as it passes through the propeller. This creates a pocket of slow-moving air centered behind the propeller, which the ambient wind blows around. Therefore, only the outer portion of each propeller blade uses the wind efficiently.
To counter this effect, modern windmill designs utilize extremely long propeller blades. The use of such massive blades, however, has its own disadvantages. First, the propellers are known to kill or injure thousands of large birds each year. Second, the massive blades can be dangerous if the device fails structurally and the propeller breaks loose. In this case, the propeller can fly a considerable distance and cause serious damage or injury to anything or anyone in its path. Third, the propeller design contains an inherent gravitational imbalance. The rising blades on one side of the propeller's hub are opposing gravity, while the descending blades on the other side of the hub are falling with gravity. This imbalance creates a great deal of vibration and stress on the device. At great expense, consequently, the device must be structurally enhanced to withstand the vibration and stress, and thus avoid frequent maintenance and/or replacement.
All of these disadvantages of conventional windmill design also make conventional windmills unsuitable for mounting on a vehicle.
What is needed in the art is a generator that overcomes the disadvantages of existing systems and methods by providing an efficient source of electrical or mechanical energy suitable for use in improving the efficiency of motor vehicles. The present invention provides such a generator.